Last Sacred Blessing
by SlayerKitty00
Summary: Sequel to These Days. “Both of you had to agree, right?” Angel finally broke the silence. Dawn nodded. “You know Connor's history. Why would you ask it of him?” He wanted to know. “Because he loves me.” She answered, staring out the window again.
1. Consequences

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Not mine, please don't sue.

A/N: As of 12-24-09, I have started working on this story again! Woo, must be a Christmas Miracle! This chapter has been edited a little, mostly for spelling errors. The other two fics in this series, Ties that Bind, and These Days have both been edited as well. Things have been removed, and new things have been added, but the plot is generally the same. If you love this series, you might want to re-read it. I will be posting three new chapters of this fic tonight.

Yes, you read that right.

Everyone done having their heart attacks now?

Good, on with the fic. :)

No clue when the next chapter will be up - the next week or so is going to be crazy, and no telling if inspiration will strike!

Thanks for all my recent reviews, urging me to continue this - it was you all who put the idea of working on this story again in my head. :)

Merry Christmas!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Consequences **

Dawn wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand, resting her elbows against the cool porcelain of the toilet.

"Ugh." She said, grimacing. She'd known that a pregnancy would entail things like this...but being reintroduced to her cornflakes made everything seem just a little more real.

She was going to have a baby.

Buffy was going to kill her.

Sighing, she got up and inspected her reflection in the mirror. Pale skin, tangled locks, and a downtrodden expression. She light traced the faint scratched on her cheek – her recent injury after falling with Connor was back on her face. Her side still hurt too, made worse by getting sick. She sighted, and ran her fingers through her mussed hair, and used her finger and some of Lindsey's toothpaste on her teeth. That would have to do.

"You can do this." Dawn encouraged her reflection.

*

"I told you, I'm not answering any questions until Dawn is ready." Connor refused, throwing Buffy and Spike each a hostile look. Dawn smiled sadly to herself from the doorway.

"Listen up, Junior." Buffy began, her tone extremely unhappy. "I want some answers, and I want them now." She demanded. Connor remained stoic, silently meeting her gaze. Before Angel, Lindsey or Willow could do anything to help the situation, Dawn spoke up.

"Leave him alone, Buffy." Dawn said, sounding sad and defeated. Connor barely acknowledged her presence, turning to look out the window. Night had fallen sometime while they'd been under the spell, though to Connor and Dawn it had seemed that much more time had passed.

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked, sounding worried. She approached Dawn and gave the girl a hug.

"I'm fine." Dawn replied, her smile a little tremulous.

"Good." Her sister said, relieved. "Now you can tell me what the hell is going on here, since Junior isn't talking."

"Fine." Dawn agreed. "Where should I start?"

"You can start by telling us what the hell you were thinking, 'Bit?" Spike exclaimed, clearly outraged.

"About what?" Dawn replied. She wasn't trying to be difficult, but it was hard to know which thing he was referring to.

"Dawn." Buffy's tone held a warning. The brunette met the faces of her sister and Spike, who were sharing one of the couches, before staring at her hands. Angel was perched on Lindsey's desk, and Willow was seated next to Lindsey and herself on the second couch.

Connor, still staring out the window, refused to meet her gaze. He could feel her eyes on him, begging him to turn around and be what she needed...but he couldn't...he just couldn't.

"Just start at the beginning." Willow suggested gently.

"The whole thing started when Connor kidnapped me from Wolfram and Hart." Dawn began. "Except once we'd gotten far enough away, he was going to let me go." She shifted to look at him, but he still wouldn't turn around and face her. "But then he told me about what he'd learned about Angel and the things he'd been told...." Dawn shook her head. "He said he didn't remember, so I came up with the memory spell idea."

"Who told you about me, Connor?" Angel asked his son, who had yet to speak since Dawn had entered the room.

"A woman named Eve." Connor finally answered, turning to look at his father. "She said she was lawyer." Angel growled, causing everyone to jump.

"Down boy." Buffy commanded. "You can take care of Eve after we've finished this." She motioned for Dawn to continue.

"We did the spell, but evidently we messed up because I ended up there too. Then suddenly, the spell switched from Connor's memories to my memories...about being the Key...and that night with Glory." Dawn's voice got quiet, and the room was silent for a moment as everyone remembered the aftermath of that night.

"That's where I came in. I got you out. " Willow chimed in. Dawn shook her head.

"Not exactly." She replied. She received four confused stares. Sighing, Dawn continued. "Ok, this next part gets a little unbelievable, so please don't interrupt. It'll make sense when I'm done." She paused to take a deep breath. Here we go, she thought.

"The first time that Connor and I ended up in the memory of that night with Glory, Willow did show up." Dawn began. She held up her hand to silence her sister, who'd opened her mouth to speak. "Something changed. Instead of just watching the memory, we were actually there, on that night." Dawn went on.

"A temporal shift." Willow uttered.

"Whatever it was, it meant that I had the power to change what happened that night...and something in me just...snapped." Dawn got up and headed towards the window that Connor was occupying. She stopped short when she saw the expression on his face. Goddess, she'd put it there. "I couldn't do it, Buffy. I couldn't watch you die again." Dawn's voice broke. "Willow disappeared. Connor and I decided to jump into the portal...so we did." The teens seemed oblivious to the looks of shock that were being sent in their direction. "Oh, Goddess, Buffy, I wish we'd never done it. This is all my fault." Dawn felt her legs go out from underneath her, as everything hit her at once. Connor caught her before she hit the floor, acting on instinct.

Their eyes locked. Just for a moment, he forgot why he couldn't be the man she needed. Only for a moment, and then reality set back in. He helped her stand, and quickly let go. Dawn looked broken hearted.

"I can't do this." Connor told her, sounding anguished. "I thought I could, but I can't." His eyes welled up as they looked into hers. "I'm sorry." He took off, running out of the study.

"Connor!" Angel exclaimed, getting up to follow him.

"Let him go, Angel." Dawn said, her tears spilling over. Angel turned around to stare at her. She wiped her eyes, and placed a hand over her belly. "He's having trouble adjusting." The front door to Lindsey's apartment slammed shut.

"Let's talk about that, shall we 'Bit?" Spike interrupted, his anger unmistakable.

"It's all part of the story." She replied, sitting back down.

"What happened once you jumped through the portal?" Willow asked. The redhead had started taking notes by this point, not wanting to miss anything.

"When I woke up, it was the same day, the same year...but everything had changed." Dawn started again.

"What was different?" Buffy asked.

"Lot's of things...we were still living in Sunnydale. Since you hadn't died, the First never got to make its move." Dawn answered. She was debating on how much to tell them of what had happened in the alternate time line. "Connor was there too...this Connor. The portal had dropped him off just as he was traveling from Quor-toth. He used his memories of the future to change things too." Angel sat down heavily. "You were so proud of him." Dawn told Angel, getting a look of surprise. She shook her head as if to clear it. "Because of what didn't happen...Angel was granted something called a Shanshu...which made him human." Angel and Lindsey shared a look. Spike wasn't liking this turn of events in the story.

"Then what happened?" Willow prodded, making a note to ask Angel later exactly what a Shanshu was.

"He and Connor came to Sunnydale. Buffy and Angel got married, Spike left town...you and Lindsey got engaged." Five mouths were hanging open in disbelief, allowing Dawn to continue interrupted. "For the first few days, I thought everything was as perfect as it could be. I would have preferred that Spike be there, but I planned to find him and bring him home. Then things started going wrong." Very wrong, Dawn reminded herself of why she'd agreed to the Oracles demands.

"What went wrong, Dawnie?" Willow asked, her pencil poised. She hoped no one noticed that her hand was shaking from the bombshell Dawn had dropped.

"Everything." Dawn answered, her voice breaking. "Buffy was...Buffy was pregnant." She finally stumbled out, unable to look at the reactions she was getting. She settled for staring at the floor. "She was having complications, and then I found out she wasn't the slayer anymore. She'd given up her powers." Dawn wiped her eyes again, still not looking up. "That's when I knew...we had to fix it. Make it right somehow."

"What did you do?" Buffy's question held a threat of warning, as if she sensed where her younger sister was taking this story.

"Connor said we could go see the Oracles, that Angel had been to see them once, and that we could have time reversed." Angel avoided everyone's gazes, hoping that Dawn would not reveal what his trip to the Oracles had been for, and that Buffy would not ask. "So we did. We got in to see them with a little help from Spike." Dawn said, smiling for the first time since she'd started her story. "At first, they weren't going to help us...but they eventually offered us a deal. We accepted, and when we arrived in my memories a second time, we went with Willow instead of going portaling."

"I don't understand how you being pregnant now fits into all this."

"You weren't supposed to have that baby, Buffy." Dawn said, getting up and walking to the window. "The Powers That Be had only granted it to you when they realized what Connor and I had done...and once you were pregnant, it could not be undone. They aren't allowed to take lives." She stared out the window into the night, wondering where Connor had gone. "The deal they offered was simple. I would have the baby instead. The child would be mine and Connor's."

Dawn found the look on Spike and Buffy's faces to be pretty comical. They almost seemed relieved that she'd experienced the most Immaculate Conception since Christ. Angel looked like he'd swallowed something sour, while Lindsey was stoic. Willow's hand was moving at light speed over her paper, trying to record every little detail.

"Both of you had to agree, right?" Angel finally broke the silence. Dawn nodded. "You know Connor's history. Why would you ask it of him?" He wanted to know.

"I didn't." Dawn said, her tone angry. "He agreed on his own."

"Why would he do that, especially given how he's acted since you two woke up?" Angel questioned.

"Because he loves me." She answered, staring out the window again. "And I love him."

*

Dawn jumped at the knocking sound on the bathroom door, the sound of her sister's voice intruding on her reverie. She only hoped the inquisition to come would go nearly as well as the one in her head had.

"I'll be right there, Buffy." Dawn replied to her sister.

She put a hand to her belly, willing her stomach to remain in it's rightful place long enough to get this over with. She straightened her spine, and pasted a resolved expression on her face. A shaking hand reached for the light switch and that bathroom was engulfed in darkness. Resolutely, Dawn turned and left the bathroom.

Time to face the music.


	2. Figuring It Out

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Not mine, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Figuring It Out**

"On a scale of one to ten, that sucked about a million." Dawn mumbled to herself. She was rummaging around in the hotel mini-fridge for ice cream. Buffy would probably kill her for it, but she was craving the sugary goodness that only came from a pint of Ben and Jerry's. The hotel they were staying in was pretty swanky, thanks to the council's extensive travel budget, and the fact that this was being written off on their taxes as a business expense.

Honestly, after finding out that her sister was having a baby through Immaculate Conception with her ex-boyfriend's son, Dawn was pretty sure Buffy would let most other things slide.

There really wasn't anything worse than that at the moment.

Finding the menu promised pint, she grabbed a plastic spoon from the sidebar (where the complimentary coffee and tea was kept), and slumped down on the couch. She opened the ice cream and took a huge bite, reveling as the creaminess melted on her tongue.

Seemed the baby liked ice cream too.

Dawn sighed.

Tonight had not gone at all like she'd hoped.

Yes, she and Connor had told their families the truth. Yes, there was major freaking out, on both sides.

And then Buffy had said the most dreaded words -

"_You and Connor are done, Dawn. You are not seeing each other anymore." _

"_B...b...but..." Dawn stuttered. "We're having a baby, Buffy."_

"_No, you are." Buffy crossed her arms over chest, and Dawn mocked her, feeling childish. "He will have no part in it." _

"_You can't do that!" Dawn protested, her voice going shrill. If anyone knew exactly how to whine and have it make the most impact, it was her._

"_I can so." Buffy replied, her face hard. "I am your legal guardian until you're 18, Dawn, and you will do as I say." _

"_Buffy!" She cried, actual tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't do this._

"_My mind is made up." Buffy pushed a few loose strands of hair out of Dawn's eyes. "We're going back to Rome tomorrow night." _

"_No!" _

Buffy had remained un-moved. Spike was in agreement, and he was going back with them.

But that wasn't the worst thing.

No, the worst thing was Connor's reaction.

He didn't fight, protest, or utter a syllable in response to the declaration.

He did nothing.

Dawn fought another round of tears. She had cried silently the entire drive to the hotel. Buffy and Spike had left her here to pack, and they'd gone on to his place to 'pack'.

Connor hadn't even said good-bye.

She threw the empty pint carton in the trash, and sighed. She lived nearly two lifetimes in the span of a few hours, and then gotten pregnant. She sprawled out on the bed.

It wore a girl out.

She didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep until a noise in the dark woke her.

*

Buffy had ingrained in her to be prepared at all times, so she slept with a bat next to the bed.

You could do a lot of damage with one, if you tried.

Silently, Dawn's hand crept forward and her fingers curled around the handle.

She felt the gentle pressure of someone sitting on the bed.

Dawn lifted the bat and swung in a fluid motion, feeling extremely satisfied as the bat made contact.

A familiar yelp sounded in the darkness of her room, and she lurched for the light switch.

"Connor!?' She exclaimed, rushing over to him. He was holding a hand to his head, and she could see a trickle of blood trail past it. "Oh, crap, I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, it's fine." Connor reassured her.

"You're bleeding." She pointed out, starting to get out of bed. "And your other head injury still hasn't healed completely yet." Dawn was hopelessly tangled in the covers at this point, and struggled to get loose.

"Well, then they'll match." He replied, trying hard to keep a straight face and failing.

"I'm glad you think this is funny." She pouted, shoving roughly at the blankets while he shot her an amused glance.

"Seriously, Dawn, I heal fast." He reassured her. "It'll stop in a minute."

Dawn settled back for a minute.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, all of her heartache from earlier coming back.

"Apparently, getting some sense knocked into me." Connor answered, a ghost of a smile on his lips. She glared. "I just...couldn't leave things that way."

"You mean, in the way that you did absolutely nothing at all?"

"Yeah, that." Connor answered after a moment, looking sheepish. "I was just...overwhelmed."

"That makes two of us." Dawn put a hand on her stomach. "Possibly three of us." She couldn't get a read on his expression as he stared at her hand where it lay gently on her abdomen. "She's been through a lot, too."

"Dawn, I...I don't think I..." He tried to say. "I'm not the right person for this. I mean, you saw..." Connor looked pained. Dawn though back to earlier, to the memory spell and how horrible Connor had been in those memories – and how he'd gotten that way. He wasn't that Connor anymore.

"You aren't him. Not anymore." She insisted.

"But he's still inside me."

"Connor, I can't do this without you."

He groaned, panic flooding his eyes.

"I'm not good for you or her."

"Says who?" Dawn countered. "Good and Evil aren't predetermined, Connor. It's a choice, one we make every day."

"You really think I can just choose to be good." Connor clearly didn't believe her.

"I really do." She smiled softly at him. "I'll think you'll be a good father too, even if we are a little young."

Dawn was startled when Connor shifted and slid his hand over her abdomen, stopping next to hers.

"Is this ok?" He asked, uncertain.

"It's more than ok." She replied, meeting his gaze.

She checked the clock, curious as to what time it was, and how much longer he would be able to stay.

"Buffy will probably be back soon." Dawn said, sad. "I won't let her shut you out of the baby's life."

"I don't think you have a choice." Connor replied. "Just because you're pregnant," He stumbled over the word. "Doesn't mean you're emancipated. She's still you're guardian until you're 18."

"Well, crap." Dawn replied. "I don't want to go back to Rome. I want to stay here with you, and finish school and raise our baby."

"You really want to be with me?" He sounded uncertain. "After everything you saw?"

"Of course, silly." She smiled. "I love you. That's never going to change." He smiled back, his first real smile since leaving Wolfram and Hart earlier.

"So what do we do?"

"I don't think there's anything we can do."

"There has to be some way to stop her from taking me out of the country." Dawn insisted. "What if we got married?"

"Married?" Connor echoed, staring at her. Dawn blushed.

"It's the only thing I can think of."

"You have to be 18." He told her.

"In California – surely there's state where it can be done at 17." She said. "I mean, I'm pregnant. I'm sure that matters."

"We can look." Connor replied, gesturing to the laptop on the desk at the end of the bed. He got up and crossed the room, settling himself in the chair, and started typing. Dawn struggled with the blankets for a few more minutes, before finally ripping her way free. She padded her way to the bathroom, and ran one of the washcloths under warm water, and then made her way back to Connor's side.

True to his word, the cut on his forehead was virtually gone, and all that remained was dried blood. She set about wiping it up, gently moving the washcloth over his skin. His fingers stopped their typing for a moment, and he closed his eyes against the sensation

"There, all done." Dawn said, lowering the washcloth.

"Thanks." Connor met her gaze. He'd never met anyone quite like her.

"You're welcome." She breathed, unable to pull her gaze away. How long they stared at each other, she didn't know. It seemed as if time stopped, leaving them there with each other. Her breath came in pants, and she watched his Adams apple bob as he swallowed. Dawn's lips were suddenly very dry, and she licked them tentatively.

A loud noise in the hallway broke the moment, startling them. Dawn jumped and the flushed to the roots of her hair.

"I'll just go…" She gestured to the bathroom door.

"Yeah, I'll keep looking." Connor focused on the computer screen. "Hey, this site looks promising." He called as she ducked into the bathroom.

"Ok." Dawn managed to get out around her embarrassment. She splashed some cool water on her cheeks to calm down, and made her way back to Connor's side.

"So far everything says you have to be 18." He told her. "And for some reason, in Minnesota, they don't recognize common law marriage unless it was before 1958."

"Laws are weird." Dawn replied. "Seriously, you should Google "stupidest laws" or whatever they're called. It's hysterical what people have made illegal."

"Ok." He said, drawing her attention back to the matter at hand. "There's only one state I can feasibly see us getting married in. Indiana."

"Indiana?" She repeated. He nodded.

"All we need is proof of pregnancy from a doctor, and you can get married at 17 there."

"So what's the plan, then?"

"We hop a flight to Indiana." He suggested.

"What about getting proof?" Dawn asked, starting to throw her clothes into her small suitcase. Connor did some quick typing, while Dawn grabbed her toiletries from the bathroom.

"There's a red eye flight to Indianapolis leaving in a couple of hours." He called out.

"Here." She said, tossing her watcher's council travel credit card at him. Buffy insisted she have one in case of emergency. _I guess this qualifies._

She watched as he quickly purchased the tickets, and then did some quick search for local doctors.

"There's a clinic on Main that's open for a couple more hours." He said, watching her zip her bag.

"Let's go then." He grabbed her bag while she put on her jacket. "Wait!" Dawn exclaimed, running back to the desk, and scribbling down a couple of lines on hotel stationary."

"Come on." Connor said, as she put the pen down. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side.

The door shut behind them with a click.


	3. Dealing With It

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Not mine, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Dealing With It **

Buffy surveyed the empty hotel room. She held the note from Dawn in her hand.

"I'm going to kill her."

*

"Buffy's going to kill me." Dawn moaned, as they settled in the plane.

"There won't be anything she can do about it." He patted his pocket, where the proof of her pregnancy was. "We're all set."

"You made our appointment at the wedding place, right?" Connor nodded. He'd had to promise a large sum of money to the guy, but he was expecting them.

"My parents will probably want to kill me too, if that helps." He said.

"The Reilly's?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah." He sighed. "They don't know anything about this supernatural stuff. They think I'm their son. They don't even know why I've been sneaking out at all hours, and why I've been so much trouble lately." Connor paused, and took her hand. "They think I'm acting out because of Tracy."

"Your girlfriend, the one who was killed?" He nodded slowly, trying not to let the pain overwhelm him.

"And now I'm going to come home, married to a girl they don't know, and a baby on the way…they're good parents, but they're going to freak out."

"Do you think they'll like me?" Dawn wondered, distracting herself as the plane started to take off.

"They'll love you." He smiled, "My little sisters will too."

"You have sisters?" She replied. "Aww, I bet you're a cute big brother." He blushed.

"They'll love you as much as I do." She tried to smile at his declaration, but it was interrupted by a yawn. "Why don't you lay back and close your eyes?" Connor suggested.

Dawn took his suggestion, and fell asleep, holding his hand tightly.

*

Buffy sat on the couch in her hotel room, staring at the note in her hands. She had failed.

Dawn, the one who had a shot at a normal future, a normal life, was now tainted with an abnormality.

She was pregnant, at 17.

And now, she'd run off with Connor to who knows where. Spike was on the phone with Angel, trying to figure out where they might have gone. He'd already woken Giles, across the Atlantic, and had him looking into a few things.

"Angel's going to put Wolfram and Hart resources on it." Spike said, hanging up the phone. "I called Red and she's already working on a locating spell, just in case."

"Good." Buffy stared at her hands.

How had she let it get this far?

*

The plane touched down, and Connor shook Dawn awake. She blearily wiped her eyes, trying to remember where she was.

"You don't need me to carry you, do you?" He asked. At that thought, she was suddenly very alert. The idea was extremely embarrassing, and yet the thought of his hands on her…

Dawn shook her head, and he smiled.

"Come on, we've gotta move." He headed for the entrance of the airport, carrying both their bags in one hand, and she struggled to keep up with his fast pace.

"Slow down a little, Connor." She snapped. "Some of us don't have supernatural speed walking abilities, ok?" He stopped abruptly, allowing her to catch up.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I'm just…" she looked up at him.

"Freaking out?" She finished his sentence.

"A little." He admitted. "I just – this is all happening so fast."

"It'll be ok, Connor." Dawn reassured him. "I know it."

"Doesn't anything ever get to you?" Connor wanted to know, as they started walking again. "You're so…cavalier about everything."

"Cavalier?" She didn't like what the word implied.

"Easy going is probably better." He backtracked, realizing he'd offended her.

"After everything I've seen, even if I wasn't really there – it makes you pretty unflappable." She paused. "I'm not saying things don't get to me, Connor, because they do – I've just gotten to a point where I can accept what I can and can't change, and try to deal with it."

He raised an eyebrow in response.

"Ok, so maybe that was a load of crap." Dawn smiled, sheepish. "I guess it's because I chose this – otherwise, I'd probably be freaking out like you are."

"I had to agree to this too, you know." Connor pointed out.

"You only did that because you knew it was what I wanted." She said. "I was so desperate to fix things; I totally screwed up your life." Dawn sighed. "I'm really sorry about that."

He slipped an arm around her shoulders, as they approached the exit of the airport, and gave her a smile.

"I wasn't sure at first…" He trailed off. "…but I think everything's going to be ok." Connor told her. She smiled back, and put her arm around his waist.

*

Buffy felt the earth move and she jumped.

"Easy, Love." She heard Spike's familiar accent. "You just dozed off." He handed her the phone. "Giles' is on the phone."

"Tell me you've got something." Buffy said into the phone, by passing their normal greeting.

"I've got some answers for you, though I'm afraid I don't quite know what they mean."

"Any news is something – Do you know where they are?"

"Indiana." Giles replied.

*

"Do you think they know where we are yet?" Dawn asked, as they slid into the back of a cab. Connor gave the cab driver the address of the wedding chapel before answering.

"I'm sure they've got an idea – you used your company credit card." He pointed out. "Plus all the other resources they have going for them – I'd say they at least know what state we're in."

Dawn paled, and then leaned forward.

"An extra 20 buck if you get us there as fast as you can." She sat back as the driver nodded and felt the car speed up.

*

"Have you tried calling her?" Angel asked. He'd arrived moments ago, and was now sitting across from her, Dawn's note in his hands. Spike was glaring at him from his seat next to Buffy on the couch.

"Gee, Angel, I didn't think of that." Buffy replied, heavy on the sarcasm. "Of course I did. Her phone is turned off."

"Connor's too." He sighed.

"Giles said they were in Indiana – any idea what would make them go there?" Buffy wanted to know.

"No idea." Angel shrugged.

"Connor doesn't have any other family there, does he?" Buffy asked.

"No – but speaking of family…" Angel trailed off. "Let's go see Lindsey."

*

Dawn slipped her credit card to the receptionist while staring down at her left hand. The ring on her hand felt foreign and strange.

Getting married had been so easy.

The chapel issued the license, and then turned it over to the Reverend, who married them.

She had promised to love, honor, and cherish Connor for all the days of her life.

He had solemnly sworn the same to her – though he'd looked panicked through out the ceremony. She'd been dying to ask him what he'd been thinking, but decided to wait until they were alone.

The receptionist handed her card back with a congratulatory smile, which Dawn tried to return. Too many thoughts were swirling in her head, as she tucked the card in her purse, and turned around to face him.

Her husband.

*

Angel banged on Lindsey's door before throwing it open violently.

"Really, Angel?" Buffy gave him look.

"To what do I the honor, Ms. Summers?" Lindsey drawled, coming out of a back room of his apartment. "And you owe me a new door." He directed at Angel.

"Fat chance." Angel snarled.

"Angel, seriously." Buffy put a hand on his arm. "If you're going to act a child, you can go sit in the car."

"Yeah, peaches." Spike added. "Why don't you go toddle along and let the big kids work this out?" Angel's presence had been working his nerves all morning.

"Spike." Buffy warned.

"What's going on?" Lindsey asked.

"Dawn and Connor ran off – we traced Dawn's credit card and found a purchase for two tickets to Indiana. Have you heard from him?" She asked. Lindsey shook his head. He gestured for them to come in.

"Indiana?" He repeated. Buffy nodded.

"Is there any reason you can think of that they would go there?"

Lindsey thought for a moment.

"Well, they aren't trying to hide what they're doing, that's for sure." He said. "How old is Dawn, anyway?"

"17. Why?"

Lindsey sat down in front of his laptop, seemingly lost in thought.

"Well, I have a crazy theory, but I could be way off."

*

The cab pulled up in front of the hotel, and Dawn swallowed hard. The nervousness that had been building since leaving the wedding chapel threatened to overwhelm her.

Connor took her hand and helped her out of the cab. He took their bags from the cabbie, and led her in to the front desk. Dawn tuned out while he checked them in.

Officially, they were on their honeymoon.

Dawn wasn't sure she was ready for that.

She didn't pay any attention as the desk clerk handed them room keys, she followed mindlessly as Connor led the way to the elevator.

He could hear her heartbeat speed up, but he wasn't sure why. The hardest part was over – they were married now. No one could ever take her from him. It wasn't until they were standing outside the hotel room door, and she was visibly trembling, that he finally got it.

She was wondering if they would have a wedding night, and completely terrified about it.

He knew, because he was feeling the same way.

*

"Do you think Connor would have contacted his family?" Buffy asked.

"The Reilly's?" Angel clarified. Buffy nodded, and then glanced at Lindsey.

"I haven't heard anything from my Uncle."

"Have I mentioned how much I hate that he's related to you?" Angel snapped.

There was quiet as Lindsey typed a few things in on his computer.

"That's what I was afraid of." He said quietly.

"What?" Buffy wanted to know, peering over his shoulder.

The information on the screen made her jaw drop.

*

"Here we are." Connor finally said, gesturing to the door.

"Yup." Dawn replied, her voice shaking. He reached out and slowly put the key in the door. He pushed it slowly, and used the bags to hold it open. Turning around, he picked up Dawn in one fluid motion, and she let out a little shriek.

He grinned at her, walking inside, and kicking the bags out of the way. The door closed behind them with a click.


	4. Fear

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Not mine, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Fear **

Connor rolled over onto his back, and raised his arm up behind his head. Dawn was snuggled up next to him, sleeping soundly. It had been a long two days, and he couldn't believe everything that had happened.

After Buffy and Spike (he still found it really hard to believe that a Slayer would date a vampire, let alone two!) had taken Dawn back to the hotel, he just wandered around the city. He knew his parents would be worried about him, but he still didn't call. He was sure they'd notified the police by now – he'd left with Eve, gone straight to Angel's office, and then ended up at Lindsey's under a memory spell. Then he'd run off to Indiana and married Dawn, who was going to have his baby.

The idea terrified, even more than the reaction of his parents.

Why had he agreed to this?

All he could picture in his head was the memory of him and Cordelia, and her lifting up her shirt to show him her belly.

Their child had been evil – evil enough that he'd killed her.

What kind of monster was he that he'd helped create a child like that?

"You are not a monster." The quiet voice startled him, and he sat up in bed. At the foot of the bed, dressed in white, stood his mother. He tensed, unsure of what to do. He knew, from the memory spell, that she meant him no harm – she'd even tried to talk him out of killing that girl.

"Mother." He whispered, glancing at Dawn. She was still asleep.

"My dear boy." Darla moved closer to him, around the edge of the bed. Her hand outstretched, and her fingertips caressed the side of her face.

"I'm so sorry." He gasped. He should have listened to her then. Things would be so different now if he had.

"There is nothing to be sorry for." She ruffled his hair. "I am so proud of the man you've become." She paused. "The road isn't always easy, Connor. Things are going to get really bad."

"Because of the baby?"

"She's going to be the joy of your life, Connor." Darla replied.

"She's not…evil, is she?" He couldn't help but ask. His mother shook her head.

"She is better than all of us." Darla said. "She will bring peace."

"I don't understand." Connor said.

"You don't need to." She gave him a sad smile. "Just be prepared to protect her." Connor nodded. "I have to go."

"Thank you." He whispered.

She was gone.

Connor jerked awake.

Dawn was nestled by his side, sound asleep. He had no clue if that had really happened or not. He sat up, suddenly unable to go back to sleep. He ran a hand through his tangled locks, and sighed.

"Connor?" Dawn murmured his name sleepily.

"Right here." He said, laying back down, and turning to slide his arm around her.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"No." He whispered, placing a light kiss on her shoulder. "A good one actually." She stretched against him, and he held back a hiss as she accidentally rubbed against him.

"Thank you for understanding…"She trailed off. "…about earlier."

"I told you it's not a big deal."

"I know." She bit her lip. "It's just, it's our wedding night…"

"We've got plenty of time, Dawn." He smiled down at her. "In some ways we barely know each other – I get that now." He hadn't been so understanding earlier, during the memory spell.

"How mad do you think Buffy is going to be?" Dawn asked in a whisper, changing the subject.

"I think it's a good thing I have super strength." Connor replied with a grin.

She smiled back, and then went quiet. He watched as she drifted back off to sleep.

*

Buffy sat in Angel's office, staring out at the LA skyline. She'd lost track of how long she'd been there. All she could do was replay what happened at Lindsey's over and over in her mind.

"_You really think they went and got…married?" Buffy asked, hoping he was wrong._

"_Well, I could be way off, but you did tell Dawn you were taking her back to Rome, and she wouldn't have any contact with Connor – which I think is crap, by the way – and if she was desperate…" He trailed off._

"_Do you really think she could talk him into that?" She asked, _

"_She talked him into a mystical pregnancy." Angel replied, his tone clearly unhappy.  
_

"_Don't put this all on Dawn!" Buffy shouted. "Your _son_ was there too. None of this would have even happened if he hadn't kidnapped Dawn in the first place." _

"_Damn it, Buffy!" Angel snapped. Her eyes flashed. "You don't know what he's been through. The memories he saw today – there's a reason I agreed to having them erased. No one should have a life like that!" _

"_Watch it, mate." Spike interjected, finally speaking. He directed his comment to Angel. "We could play the blame game all day – what we need to suss out is what we're going to do if they did jump the broom." _

"_Jump the broom?" Buffy said, distracted by her confusion. _

"_Get hitched, Love." Spike replied, dropping a kiss on her forehead. _

"_Oh." She paused. "Well, I'm pretty sure I'll kill him." _

_Angel growled, and Spike growled back._

"_If you're going to stake each other, can you take it outside?" Lindsey pointed to the door. "Vacuuming up vampire dust is a bitch." _

_Buffy's phone rang, startling them._

"_Dawn?" Buffy said, answering it. "Oh, Giles." She continued, her voice falling flat again. "Yeah...mhmmm. We thought they might." She paused again. "Yeah, thanks. Love to everyone." Buffy shut her phone with a click._

_She sighed, and put her head in her hands._

"_Giles had a wedding chapel charge come up on Dawn's credit card." A sob made its way out of her throat, and she felt Spike's arms slide around her. _

Somehow, the decision had been made to come back to Wolfram and Hart - and after awhile, Buffy insisted she just wanted to be alone.

Now she just had to figure out why everything went wrong.

*

Dawn yawned and stretched, feeling nothing but empty bed beside her. Through her sleep fogged brain, she heard the shower running.

Smiling mischievously, she debated joining him, but she knew she wasn't ready for that yet. She dropped her legs over the side of the bed, and stood up. It was a big mistake – the room whirled, and her stomach turned.

Dawn ran into the bathroom, no longer caring that Connor was in there – possibly naked - and proceeded to throw up every bit of the room service she'd eaten yesterday. The shower turned off, and she heard Connor moving around behind her. His gentle hands were touching her neck, and pulling her curly locks away from her face.

"This sucks." She groaned between heaves.

"Are you going to be ok?" He asked, smoothing her hair back.

"Now that my stomach has turned upside down and inside out, I feel better." She admitted, as he helped her sit on the now downed lid of the toilet. He handed her a toothbrush with some toothpaste on it, and then a cup of water to rinse. It wasn't until she was handing the cup back to him that she realized he was only wearing a towel.

*

Spike settled down onto the couch next to Buffy.

"We could go after them." He said.

"What's the point? It's done." Her voice was monotone. "She'll come home when she wants to."

"If you're sure, Love…" Spike trailed off. "Why don't I take you back to the hotel room to get some sleep?" He suggested.

"I couldn't sleep right now." Buffy replied. "Not until I know she's ok."

"I'll beat up Junior when they get back, if that'll help." Buffy rolled her eyes at him.

"Somehow, I don't think Angel would let you." She paused. "And given the fact he's already tried staking you once, I'd rather you didn't get too close." She fingered the edge of her bandage, under her skin. How had that only happened yesterday?

"Whatever you say, pet." Spike replied, stroking her hair lightly.

Buffy's phone rang, and she snapped it up.

"Hello?" Buffy greeted.

"Hi." Dawn replied meekly.

"Dawn Summers!" Buffy shouted her full name. "I could wring your neck!"


	5. Facing the Music

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Not mine, please don't sue.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting - the last month has been crazy! That doesn't mean I haven't been writing though, and you guys are going to get three new chapters! Woo! I am also working on playlists for each story in the series, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know. :)

* * *

**Chapter 5: Facing the Music**

Connor watched Dawn out of the corner of his eye. The closer the plane's descent got them to the ground; the harder she bit her lip. In a moment, she'd be bleeding, she was chewing so hard. Her grip on his hand was white knuckled. He figured most people were chalking her reaction up to a fear of flying. He knew better.

She was dreading the approaching conversation. The one with her sister – a vampire slayer – and not one, but two vampires.

_Goddess our lives are screwed up_, he thought.

On the flight back, Dawn had distracted herself by telling him why she and Buffy were in LA in the first place.

_To find me. Oh, the irony. _

_Thinking he was a girl!_

Momentarily offended, he'd just stared at her.

"_I am not a girl." he practically growled. Her eyes widened a little, and he could hear her pulse speed up. Shit, did he scare her?_

"_No." She licked her lips, and his breath caught in his throat. "No, you are definitely not a girl." _

_Nope, not scared. _

_A smug grin crossed Connor's lips before he could stop it. Her eyes widened a little further. He could hear her heart now, beating rapidly. Suddenly, she crossed her arms over chest, looking defiant._

"_You know exactly what you're doing to me, don't you?" She asked, sounding annoyed. _

"_I can hear it." He whispered. _

"_That..." she paused. "Really sucks." _

He grinned as the plane landed with a bump. He heard Dawn's heartbeat speed up as they neared the terminal. He knew that Buffy and Angel would be waiting for them. He needed to call his parents and let them know he was ok too. They would be out of their minds with worry.

They let the plane empty out ahead of them, each dreading the conversation to come.

*

"Are we doing the right thing?" Buffy asked, glancing at Angel. They were waiting impatiently for Dawn and Connor to arrive. Angel stopped glowering at Spike long enough to meet her gaze.

"They didn't think it through, Buffy." He said. "Once we point that out, they'll see they were wrong."

"All you're going to do is drive 'Bit and Junior away." Spike interrupted. He didn't agree with the 'plan' to convince the two teens that marriage had been a mistake. Maybe it was because he was from another time, when marrying young was expected, especially if the chit was pregnant, or the grudging respect he was beginning to have for Connor, for not running away from his problems.

Maybe he just couldn't bear to lose the 'Bit from his life.

"You don't have kids, Spike." Angel pointed out. Spike glared.

"Maybe not, but I know Dawn." He replied. "I took care of her that whole summer when Buffy was…gone." Spike forced out the words. "She's like my kid sis, and if you two are dead set on this, don't count on me backing it up."

It was Buffy's turn to glare.

"Can't you just support me on this?" She sighed.

"She needs you to be her sister, not her judge and jury." Spike told her. Buffy sighed again.

*

Bewildered, Dawn and Connor exchanged glances. Instead of the hostile family they'd expected to encounter in the airport lobby, there was just a chauffeur holding a sign that read "Summers/Reilly" on it.

They slowly made their way over to the limo.

As the limo driver stowed their bags, they slid into the back.

"What the hell?" Dawn finally burst out after making sure the partition was all the way up. "Where is the Spanish Inquisition?"

"I have no idea." Connor replied, as the limo slowly made its way through the streets of LA.

"Buffy was pissed." She continued. "I mean, really pissed." Dawn paused. "So unbelievably, incredibly pissed." Connor thought for a moment, and then lowered the partition.

"Where are you taking us?" He asked.

"Wolfram and Hart, sir." The limo driver answered. "Mr. Angel requested I bring you straight there."

The teens exchanged another look as Connor thanked the driver and put the partition back up.

"We're doomed."

*

The car pulled in front of the building and came to a stop. Dawn bit her lip, and stared up at the tall building. Quietly, they got out of the car, and Connor took their bags from the driver.

They were silent as the secretary directed them to the elevator, and told them Angel was waiting in his office.

The elevator dinged, opening on Angel's floor. The teens jumped; the sound loud in the calm before the storm.

Connor set their stuff behind Harmony's desk, the secretary greeting them with a tight smile.

Even she knew they were in trouble.

They strode resolutely to the door, gripping each others hands tightly.

Time to face the music.

*

"I just can't believe you'd be so irresponsible about everything, Dawnie." Buffy was in the middle of a lecture. "I don't understand how you could take this mess, and make it even worse."

"Stop acting like Connor is a demon, Buffy." Dawn replied, stopping her sister's tirade. "Child of two vampires or not, he's human, and he has a soul." Buffy blinked at her little sister, startled.

"Dawn, you barely know him!"

"I know enough." Dawn replied softly. "And I saw most of his past first hand – including the really awful parts."

"You have your whole life ahead of you, Connor." Angel pointed out. "What about school?"

"School is school, Dad." Connor replied. Angel visibly started. A look of wonder crossed his face.

"You called me Dad." Angel whispered.

"Sorry?" Connor sounded unsure of his apology. "It's just, I spent a lot of time with you in that alternate dimension, and I called you 'Dad' there, and it's hard for me to see you any other way." He paused. "I mean, the Reilly's are my parents and everything, but…" Connor trailed off with a shrug.

There was an awkward silence. Buffy snapped her fingers at Angel, and he re-focused on the conversation.

"School, right." Angel said.

"I'm going to go part-time – I have the scholarship money to do what I want as far as school goes." Connor told them. "Dawn is going to finish out school or get her GED, she hasn't decided yet."

"Where are you going to live?" Buffy demanded. "School dorms don't exactly have stipulations for pregnant wives." She paused. "Do you even have health insurance?"

"We haven't decided where we're going to live yet – Connor wants to talk to his parents first." She gave Buffy and Angel a pointed look. "All of them."

"And I do have health insurance, through school." Connor pointed out. Buffy's mouth hung open a little, like she was scrambling for something to say. The slayer exchanged a panicked glance with Angel.

"And that, as they say, is that." Spike finally spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him. He got up and walked over to Dawn, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "I'm proud of you, 'Bit." He shot Buffy a dark look, and then left the office.

"As fun as this has been, I really need to fill my parents in on what's going on." Connor said after a minute. "They have no clue about anything supernatural." He sighed. "What do I say?"

"Tell them you met me here, when you applied for an internship. We hooked up, and got pregnant, and in order to keep Buffy from pulling me out of the country, we ran off and got married." Dawn replied, glaring at her sister.

"You really want me to tell them we had a one night stand, and that I cheated on Tracy?" Connor asked, sound incredulous. Dawn blushed, embarrassed to have this conversation in front of her sister and Angel.

"Wait a second. Who the hell is Tracy?" Buffy interrupted.

"My girlfriend." He paused. "Er, ex-girlfriend?" Connor said it like a question. Buffy's face went stony.

"You have _girlfriend_?" She replied, visibly angry.

"No." Connor answered, sounding offended. "I would never do that to Dawn." Buffy threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Buffy, she was killed last week." Dawn whispered, clutching Connor's hand tightly. "The girl in the article."

"Oh." Buffy sat down, embarrassed.

"Were you planning on telling your parents the truth?" Dawn changed the subject back to the matter at hand, meeting Connor's gaze.

"Good point." He said.

"I thought so."


	6. Explanations

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Not mine, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Explanations **

"Mom? Dad?" Connor called, letting him and Dawn in his parents' house. Silence greeted them. "They're not home yet." He said, looking at the clock. It was just after three. He had at least an hour before his Mom got home.

"What about your sisters?" Dawn asked, glancing around curiously.

"They both have after school stuff they do – they won't be home until later," he replied. She nodded, biting her lip.

Connor knew what she was thinking, though that wasn't why he'd brought her to his parents' house so early. He was hoping that if they were already here, it would be less awkward explaining everything. He wanted to flesh out their 'story' a little more as well.

"Want a tour?" He asked, taking her hand. She laced her fingers tightly with his, their wedding rings resting snugly together. He pointed out all the rooms in the house, and then pulled her into his room. "This is my room."

Dawn walked around the room for a moment, taking it in. The walls were a light blue. She looked at the posters and things he had hanging up, glanced through his cd's, before resting on his cork-board of high school photos.

"Does it bother now that you know it's not real?" She asked, looking at the pictures of him with his family and friends – they were all laughing and smiling.

"You'd think it would, but it still feels real," he paused. "And no matter how many memories that were faked – you can't force someone to love someone else. The love is real."

"That's pretty much what Buffy told me, when I found out." He sat down on his bed, and leaned back against the headboard. She flushed when he patted the bed, a gesture that she should sit next to him. Sitting down, she continued. "She said the monks that made me – they made me out of her. Yeah, ok, weird – but it meant that she really was family."

"You are the only person I know who totally understands this situation." Connor slipped his arm around her shoulder, and she snuggled up against him.

"I know it's only been a couple of days since we met, but…" she trialed off. "Have you thought that this…" she gestured to Connor and herself, "…was meant to be somehow?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, just ran his fingers lightly against her scalp.

"I'm probably just being girly about it," Dawn tried to play off her question. She knew that Connor had issues with the Powers that Be after the whole Cordelia/Jasmine mess.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." He finally said. "I think I would have loved you anyway – no matter what Fate had to say about it."

She met his gaze, her eyes shining. He leaned down and kissed her softly, their lips barely touching. Connor's free hand came up to stroke her cheek. She turned to the side fully, and locked her arms around his neck. The kiss deepened, and Dawn gasped for air as Connor's mouth left hers and his lips found juncture where her neck met her shoulder.

She reached up of her hands and tangled it in his hair. He pushed her back against the bed, pulling her legs so that her pelvis was firmly pressed against his. She inhaled sharply at the contact, and he moaned. They had made out before, in the alternate reality, but it had not been like this.

There was intensity now – the same one that had gripped them while in the memory spell. Dawn couldn't remember ever feeling like this before – not when she'd had that crush in 8th grade or even when she'd been possessed by R.J.'s jacket.

She didn't realize he'd unbuttoned her shirt until she felt cooler air against her abdomen. Startled, she thought about stopping him – but then he placed a gentle kiss against her stomach. Her breathe caught in her throat, and she felt tears come to her eyes. She knew how much it cost him to trust that their baby would be a good thing.

Dawn hugged him to her, his head resting against her stomach.

"I can hear its heart beating," he suddenly whispered. "So fast…" He trailed off.

That was how his parents found them.

A throat cleaning from the doorway startled them.

"Mom, Dad!" Connor exclaimed, pulling Dawn's shirt closed for her and then standing up. Dawn blushed to the roots of her hair. "We'll be right out."

Frantically, Dawn buttoned her shirt and moved to stand next to Connor. Her stomach rolled, and she groaned.

"Bathroom?" She choked out. Connor pointed down the hallway, and Dawn rushed past his startled parents, slamming the bathroom door shut. The sounds of throwing up could be heard where they stood in the hallway.

"Living room, now," his dad ordered. Connor knew he was in big trouble.

*

"Dawn?" Connor said softy, tapping on the bathroom door with his knuckle. She moaned in reply. He opened the door, and saw her slumped on the floor. "Any better?"

She nodded, but her face was still pinched.

"It's slowly easing up." He held out a glass of water.

"Did you tell them?" She asked.

"Yeah," he answered, running a hand through his hair. "They said they needed a minute to process everything, and told me to go check on you."

"Do they hate me for corrupting their son?"

"I think they're just really disappointed in me," he sighed. "It's not like I can tell them the fate of world is at stake."

She let out a chuckle.

"No, I'm sure that would not go over well."

*

"So Dawn, tell us a little about yourself." Connor's mother suggested. Dawn picked at the food on her plate, hoping her stomach wouldn't get upset again.

"There's not much to tell. I live with my sister, Buffy, and up until recently we were living in Rome – she was transferred there for her job."

"That sounds exciting." His mother paused. "What does she do?"

"She's an instructor at a school for girls – it's really like a chain of schools, but she's also on the board of directors."

"That sounds amazing."

"It is." Dawn smiled, thinking about it. "We used to live here in California, in Sunnydale – Buffy was recruited before the Earthquake."

"What do your folks do?" Connor's father asked, scooping up another spoonful of mashed potatoes. Dawn's face fell.

"Well, um, I haven't talked to my dad in years," she paused. "My mom passed away a couple of years ago."

"I'm so sorry, dear." His mother interjected.

"It's ok. You didn't know."

"I'm still a little unclear on how you two met." Connor's mother continued.

"Well, Buffy and I have been visiting an old friend of the family." Dawn replied. "He runs Wolfram and Hart, the law firm."

"I got the lead on an internship through school, and thought I would apply." Connor interrupted. "That's why that lawyer, Eve, was here the other day - to do my interview," he paused. "Dawn and I met in the lobby. We went to lunch, and one thing led to another…" he trailed off, embarrassed.

Dawn was staring at her plate.

"And you're pregnant?" Dawn nodded in reply. Connor's father sighed.

"About 5 weeks, according to the doctor I saw," She bit her lip. "I tracked Connor down and told him a few days ago. My sister was…not happy about it. She said she was going to take me back to Rome."

"I couldn't let just let her go," Connor said quietly. His parents took their attention off of her and turned to look at their son. "So we tried to figure out what to do…and while looking up stuff on the Internet, we saw that you could get married at 17 in Indiana – so we went there, got married, and came back."

His parents were quiet as they processed that information.

"You're only 17, Dawn?" His mother asked. Dawn nodded. "You're sure this is what you want?"

Dawn sighed. She knew this question would be coming.

"I know what my options are." She met his mother's gaze. "I picked the one I could live with."

"And you feel the same way?" Connor's father looked him in the eye.

Connor didn't say anything for a moment, and Dawn felt her heart sink. She knew this wasn't what he wanted – not by a long shot. He was going with it because he loved her.

She hated herself for it, but she couldn't do this without him.

"It's not what I wanted or expected." He finally said. "It is what it is – I want Dawn in my life, I want to help raise my kid. This was the only way we could think of, and we had to act fast."

Connor's mother grasped his hand.

"We just wish you had come to us first."

*

"That could have gone worse." Dawn said, heading for Connor's car. "Your parents are great."

"They are." Connor opened the car door for her.

"It was really nice of them to offer to let us stay." Dawn smiled. "Before we left, your mom was talking about paint swatches and cribs."

Connor grinned.

"She gets carried away with stuff like that."

"It's nice." Her voice was forlorn. It was times like this that she missed her mother the most.

Before Connor could reply, he was jerked backwards. Startled, Dawn shrieked. She tried to move after him, and came face to face with a vampire.


	7. Changes

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. Not mine, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Changes**

The vampire growled menacingly at Dawn. His face clearly indicated that she should be afraid.

"Really?" she replied. She let out a light laugh. "I've seen scarier vamps than you." She pulled a stake from her back pocket, and gripped it tightly. She positioned herself just like Connor had taught her in the alternate reality, and the vampire took the bait. Before the vamp could blink, she had it on its back, and thrust the stake into its heart. She looked up in time to see Connor wrestling with his.

"Connor!" she shrieked, causing them both to look at her. She tossed him the stake, and he caught it. Impaling the vampire, he coughed as it turned to dust.

"Are you all right?" He asked frantically, getting up. Connor gripped his chin in his hands, checking her over. She placed her hands on top of his.

"I'm fine." She reassured him. He kissed her roughly, overjoyed that she was ok. They broke apart and Dawn glanced back at the house. "Do you think your parents heard anything?"

He shook his head, before glancing around.

"Come on. Let's get you back to the hotel to get your stuff." He put an arm around her shoulder.

*

"Dawn, please, think about this." Buffy pleaded as Dawn stuffed her clothes into her suitcase.

"I have." She shoved a couple more shirts in there. Connor was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Dawn." Buffy grabbed her sister's arm. Dawn reluctantly looked at Buffy. "You're my sister, and I love you."

"And that's why I need you to let me go." She sighed. "I didn't think this was how it was going to be." Dawn said softly. "I knew you wouldn't be happy, but…"

Dawn was startled by her sister's hug.

"I can't lose you." Buffy cried. Dawn's eyes met Connor's and he backed out of the doorway to give them a minute.

"You won't." Dawn started to cry too. "I need to do this, Buffy."

"I get that now." Buffy paused. "Spike and I are going back to Rome – Giles called with an emergency involving some of the girls." She finally said.

"When?"

"Tonight, as planned." She stared at Dawn. "I don't want to leave you here, but I can't force you. We'll be back in a couple months to visit – Giles thinks that we'll have everything sorted out by then."

"I'm going to miss you so much."

The sisters hugged tightly.

"You call me every night." Buffy demanded. "Promise me."

"I promise."

*

"Thanks again for letting us stay here, Mrs. Reilly." Dawn said to Connor's mother. The older woman smiled.

"Please, call me Colleen." She smiled at Dawn. "Mrs. Reilly is my mother-in-law."

"Ok." She replied.

"I would do anything for my son…even if I don't necessarily approve." Dawn blushed, but knew there was no anger behind the words.

"This is the last thing I expected to happen."

"It's going to be ok, Dawn." Colleen sat down and smoothed Dawn's hair back. "We'll make it ok."

Dawn couldn't remember the last time someone had touched her in such a motherly way. Buffy had tried, but…

Connor interrupted the moment, bringing Dawn's bags in from the car. She had a couple pieces of incredibly heavy luggage, but he wasn't even straining under the weight. Connor eyed them, but wisely didn't comment.

"We're going to have to make some room for your stuff." He said instead.

"We'll have to clear out the guest room too." Colleen added. "There's not enough room for the baby in here." Shouts and laughter from the living room drifted down the hall. Connor's mother glanced at the doorway. "Your sisters are home – we're going to sit them down and explain everything while you two get situated."

Dawn sighed as his mother left the room. She sank down onto Connor's – _their _– bed and looked up at him. He moved one of her suitcases aside and sat next to her on the bed.

"Are you ok?" He asked, touching her arm.

"Yeah…just a little overwhelmed." He rubbed his hand up and down her arm in a soothing motion. "Life is crazy, isn't it?"

"It really is." Connor agreed. Dawn felt his thumb brush across her cheek, and realized she was crying.

Her anger at Buffy was gone now, and she missed her sister. It was hard to imagine not being with her every day. Since their mom had died, they'd pretty much been inseparable – not counting Buffy's own death.

Connor pulled her into his arms, and settled them back against the bed. All her emotions came flooding out – everything she'd been repressing since the minute she and Connor had met whirled through her.

Finally, with a shuddering breath, she couldn't cry anymore.

*

"You'll be ok at the airport by yourself?" Connor asked for the third time.

"Yes, I promise." Dawn smiled at him. "Besides, Willow will be with me – we've got school related things to discuss."

"Yeah, I'm meeting with my adviser today too." Connor pulled a comb through his hair. He hadn't gotten much sleep. Dawn had finally dozed off after her crying jag, but he just couldn't turn his brain off. He was still struggling with everything.

With the baby.

He knew he couldn't tell Dawn. She believed their baby would be something Good. Connor didn't know how to believe that after all the Evil he'd seen in himself. Someone like him didn't create things that were Good.

"Dad – er, Angel said he wants to see me this afternoon too." He continued, hoping she couldn't read his emotions on his face. "I think he's going to make good on the internship story."

Dawn nodded absentmindedly. Her dreams had been plagued with nightmares, and she fought to hide how tired she was from Connor. She kept dreaming about a demon – tall with a long flowing brown robe, and a…vase? He and Connor were fighting.

Connor lost every time.

She quickly kissed him good-bye and they set off in opposite directions.

*

Dawn yawned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

She was trying to focus on what Willow was saying, but it wasn't working.

"I definitely think we can get you all graduated before the baby comes." Willow said. Dawn stared at her, eyesight blurring.

"Great." Dawn replied, glad that Willow had stopped talking. It was hard to focus on anything at this point, she was so tired.

"Listen, Dawn, I wanted to tell you…" Willow sounded nervous.

"What?" She asked, a little more alert.

"Lindsey asked me out on a date." Willow's voice was quiet.

"Wow." Dawn was startled. Alternate reality Willow and Lindsey had been together. It shouldn't have surprised her that they would get together here. "What did you say?"

"I said that I would think about it."

"Does he know about…?" Dawn trailed off.

"Tara?" Willow finished. "Some."

"Do you want to go out with him?"

"Maybe?" Willow answered, sounding unsure.

"He seems like a nice guy." Dawn mumbled, yawning again. "Why don't you take a chance?"

"Are you ok, Dawn?"

"m'fine." She replied. "Didn't sleep well."

"Maybe you should head home and take a nap."

"That does sound good." Dawn agreed, standing up. She swayed a little, and the room spun. Spots danced in front of her eyes. She thought Willow said something but she couldn't make it out for the ringing in her ears. Then everything went black.

*

"Thanks, Dad." Connor said, looking at Angel. "I really appreciate this." Angel looked ecstatic every time Connor called him 'Dad'.

"I know that I didn't support your decision to marry Dawn – but I just want what's best for you." Angel told him.

"If someone had told me a couple of weeks ago that I have two dads, and I'm this supernatural being, I would have laughed in their face."

"Having you back in my life is more than I could have ever hoped for."

Connor met Angel's gaze. "I did what I did to save you…and as much as it hurt, I'd do it again."

"I can't say that I wasn't angry at first…but after everything, I think I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything, Connor." Angel put a hand on his shoulder. "I did it because I love you."

"I love you too, Dad."

"What do you say we check out the training room and see what you remember?"

"Sounds good." Connor grinned. He remembered that he wanted to tell Angel about the vampires that attacked him and Dawn last night, and figured they could discuss it while working out.

Angel's phone rang and broke the momentary silence.

"Willow?" Angel said into the phone, answering it with a glance at the dial. "What's going on?" After a moment of murmuring, Angel snapped his phone shut. He put his hand on Connor's shoulder, propelling him forward. "We've got to go."

"What is it?" Connor knew it was bad.

"Dawn's in the hospital."


	8. Secrets

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB/UPN/Whoever owns them now. They are not mine, I just like to play with 'em.

A/N: Only one review? What? I thought everyone wanted me to finish this! Mostly kidding. On a serious note, did you guys not like how the story started to go? Is it because I wrote Buffy and Spike out for a bit? They'll be back, don't worry. Seriously, did I screw it up? Inquiring minds on the verge of nervous breakdowns want to know! :)

* * *

**Chapter 8: Secrets **

Connor flew into the emergency department of the hospital. He knew he was moving faster than a normal human would, and at the moment he didn't care.

Nothing could happen to Dawn.

He would die first.

He came to a sudden stop at the registration desk, startling the nurse, who let out a shriek. "Dawn Reilly." The nurse gave him a look.

"Sir, only immediate…"

"I'm her husband, damnit!" He exclaimed, slapping the counter for emphasis. Too hard, he realized, as he watched the plastic crack across the top.

"Sir, if you don't calm down, I'm going to call security." The nurse snapped. Angel spoke up from behind Connor, coming to a stop at the nurse's station as well.

"Please excuse my son – he's a little upset." Angel said. He leaned forward a little. "His wife is here, Dawn Reilly?" The nurse muttered under her breath as she searched for Dawn's room information. Angel gripped Connor's shoulder, keeping him from acting on the nurse's unkind comments.

"She's on the fourth floor, maternity ward." The nurse finally replied, pointing them to an elevator. Both men took off to the elevator at a brisk pace, and Connor pushed the button impatiently.

After what seemed an eternity, the elevator dinged, and they stepped inside.

Angel took one look at Connor's face, and put his hand back on his son's shoulder, in comfort this time.

"It'll be all right, Connor."

*

Connor hesitated in the doorway to Dawn's room. After rushing down the hall, barely waiting for the nurse at the maternity ward desk to tell him where it was, he was now terrified to go in. He left Angel to handle the nurse and the paperwork required. Willow was sitting in the chair by the bed, talking softly with Dawn. She looked up and saw him hovering in the doorway.

"Connor!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Hi." He said, his voice softly. He made no move to approach her.

"Hi." She replied, smiling a little.

"What happened?" Connor asked, slowly approaching the bed. She patted the bed, gesturing that he should sit next to her. He sat down gingerly. Dawn took his hand, and he held hers tightly.

"I'm just really tired." She said, and he could see that it was true. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, now that he studied her face. "As well as a little dizzy, and nauseas – the joys of being pregnant. I stood up too fast and passed out."

"What did the doctor say?" Connor asked.

"That everything looked fine, but they wanted to run some tests to be sure." Dawn told him. "I'm sure they'll let me go home soon." He nodded.

"You don't think it had anything to do with being attacked last night?" Connor asked the question that had been weighing on his mind. He had been unable to protect her the night before, and now here she was in the hospital.

"What?" Both Willow and Angel, who'd just entered the room, said together.

"There were a couple of vamps outside my parent's house last night – Dawn had to fight one of them off." Connor replied.

"I don't think so." She answered his question. "I felt fine last night, and now."

"Why didn't you tell one of us?" Angel asked, moving closer.

"It didn't seem like a big deal." Connor shrugged. "Just a run of the mill vamp attack."

"It's the second time in less than two weeks a vampire has attacked you." Angel pointed out. Connor and Dawn exchanged a look.

"Are you saying that they weren't random?"

"It makes me wonder." Angel paused. "You said Eve came to see you, right?" Connor nodded. She was the one who started this whole mess. "I'm going to check into this." He touched Connor's shoulder briefly, and then left the room. Willow stood up too.

"I'm going to go see if he needs any help." She bent down and kissed Dawn's cheek. "You know how to reach me if you need anything."

"Will you call Buffy for me?" Dawn wanted to know. "Just…wait until the plane lands – I don't want her demanding they turn the plane around over the Atlantic."

"How much longer will you be in town?" Connor addressed the redhead.

"For a little while. Dawn and I are going to get her graduated before the baby comes." Willow said.

"Thanks Will." Dawn replied, giving her a small smile.

She ducked out the door with a wave, leaving Connor and Dawn alone.

"Are you really sure you're okay?" Connor said as soon as she was gone.

"I'm fine." She insisted. "The doctor said she would come back and check on me in a few minutes."

After a half hour, the doctor finally bustled in, pulling an ultrasound machine in with her. The doctor introduced herself to Connor, and then addressed Dawn.

"All your test results came back fine, but I am a little concerned about your blood pressure."

"My blood pressure?" Dawn replied, unsure where the doctor was going with this.

"It was little high when you came into today, and even though it's gone back down into the acceptable range, it's on the high end. For someone your age, it's pretty uncommon to see it so high, even while pregnant."

"Is that why I was dizzy and lightheaded?" The doctor nodded.

"You were also a little dehydrated – that can happen a lot in the first few months, especially with morning sickness."

"I have been sick a lot." Dawn admitted.

"Well, we're going to finish out this IV bag and see how you're doing." She turned the machine next to her. "In the meantime, I see from your chart that you haven't had an ultrasound yet."

Dawn shook her head.

"I thought we should take a look at what's going on in there, just to be on the safe side." She said, reaching over and turning on the machine.

*

Dawn stared at the ultrasound photo in her hands. She could barely believe that this tiny person was growing inside of her.

Connor was gathering her stuff in anticipation of her being released.

He had been silent since the ultrasound and she had no idea what he was thinking.

She tried not to worry what she would do if Connor decided he just couldn't handle this anymore.

The nurse entered with her discharge instructions, and told her they were free to go. She read through the list of instructions, and sighed.

She'd been hoping the doctor had been kidding about moderate bed rest, but there it was in black and white.

Dawn handed the list to Connor silently, and he glanced at it before picking up her shoulder bag and coming to stand next to her. She led the way out, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. His expression was unreadable.

Squelching down the fear she felt, she let Connor lead her out to his car and help her inside.

*

Connor was silent as steered the car through the streets of LA. His parents were already freaking out – he'd called them once he knew Dawn was all right, and they were waiting on them to come home.

He didn't know how to do this.

He couldn't handle the emotions running through him. It was why he'd turned to killing vampires after Tracy died – to escape the pain. Little did he know, he'd been trying to escape pain his whole life.

He knew that Dawn was feeling put off by him, afraid of what his distance meant.

It meant he was trying to not to care about this little life she was carrying. He wanted to be normal – he did. He wanted to be excited about the baby, even if they were a little young.

He just couldn't.

Memories were coming back - memories of time that he was supposed to have forgotten.

With those memories came all the old feelings.

How much more could one person take?

*

Angel slammed the door of his office open with a snarl. Eve was sitting on his couch, her legs crossed at the ankle. She met his irate gaze with a smirk.

"Problems?" She asked, her tone revealing her joy at his distress.

"Several." He glared, clenching his fists and he stalked towards her. "All of them starting with you, it seems."

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Angel." She replied, started to get defensive.

"Vampires attacked my kid." Angel began. "They killed his girlfriend, so he starts slaying them nightly. Suddenly, you visit, and he shows up here with intimate knowledge of how he once tried to kill me and attempts to do it again – except he shouldn't know anything about me at all."

Eve moved to stand up. Angel, moving at vampire speed, put one arm on either side of her and leaned forward. Eve sat back against the couch with a yelp.

"I'm not finished." He growled. "Then, last night, my son was attacked again." Angel said. "Is there something I should know?"

"I can't control the entire vampire population, Angel."

"No, but two attacks in two weeks aren't coincidences."

"Says you." Eve snapped.

"Eve." Angel's tone held a warning.

"Look, Angel. I don't know what you want me to say." She pushed him back a little, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know anything."

"You seemed to think Lindsey had something to do with it." Angel leaned closer and Eve shrank a little more into the couch. "He's Connor's cousin. Why would he do that?"

"To get back in with the Senior Partners." She said it like she thought Angel was stupid. He bristled further at her tone.

"I don't believe you."

"Your loss." She shrugged.

Angel let his vampire side loose, and slipped into game face. He growled again, and leaned forward to strike, wanting nothing more than to sink his fangs into her neck.

He was cut off in mid growl by a voice from the doorway.

"Separate." Willow's calm voice penetrated the tension of the room. Angel felt himself flying backward. He tumbled to the floor, and bounced back up on his feet. Eve took that opportunity to try and escape. She made it to her feet before Willow held her hand out in Eve's direction. "Freeze." She said, stopping Eve in her tracks. She smirked a little at Eve's shocked expression.

"Now, who wants to tell me what's going on here?"

*

Dawn lay in Connor's – and now hers, she reminded herself – darkened room, trying to relax. It wasn't working. Between Connor's aloofness, her physical symptoms, and fear of falling asleep, she was wreck.

It had been really hard not to let Connor see how bad it really was. Even the doctor had been fooled, somewhat.

Her mind swirled with images, her nightmares haunting her even while awake. She'd had it twice last night, and once the night before – while on their honeymoon. Dawn didn't know what it meant, but it couldn't be good.

It was always the same.

The surroundings where shady – she couldn't make out where it was. Every time, Connor and Angel walked into a large room, spoke with someone she couldn't see, and then Connor was cut off from everyone. She watched as he fought a demon, a vein-y demon in brown robes, giving it all he had. After fighting for a few minutes, he just seemed to…give up. She always woke up as the demon brought a sword down to Connor's throat.

She couldn't tell him. Couldn't vocalize the horribleness. She wasn't one for pre-cognitive dreams – that award went to Buffy – but something about this dream wasn't normal.

It was way too real.

Add in the vampire attacks, and that could only mean one thing.

Connor was in danger.


	9. Memories

Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Angel the series are not mine - they belong to Joss Whedon, WB, Mutant Enemy and probably a lot of people I forgot.

A/N: So yeah...update fail. Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. I did get more than one this time, so that makes me feel better. I kind of have this story outlined a little (at least it has direction now), so hopefully i will be able to work on it faster. Also, I will be meeting Nicholas Brendon on free comic book day (May 1st) so I'm hoping that will inspire me to write more!

Don't forget to check out my playlist! http://slayerkitty(dot)livejournal(dot)com/2884(dot)html (Remember to replace the dot's with periods!)

* * *

**Chapter 9: Memories **

When Connor was five years old, he got lost in a shopping mall.

The feeling of terror had never left him, and to this day, he still broke out in a cold sweat if he went to the mall.

The first memory he really had of his father was from that day, scooping him up into his arms, and knowing that everything was all right.

The first memory Connor had of Daniel Holtz, the man he'd believed was his father, was the day of his first hunting trip. Connor had been sent out by his father, on the threat of no food for a week if he wasn't successful, to kill a demon. The fear he'd felt as he'd wrestled the creature twice his size, ultimately killing it, haunted him in his sleep.

He had been five years old.

Who did that to a five year old?

What kind of monster had Daniel Holtz been?

Connor knew as more and more memories started to come back, he would need to speak with Angel about them.

With the memories came the violent emotions they carried – he was terrified he was going to lash out at someone. His family…Dawn.

He sighed as he rolled over in bed. Dawn was nestled beneath the covers, sound asleep beside him. She had been restless all night, tossing and turning. She had finally fallen into a deep sleep about an hour ago, but sleep was eluding him. Each new memory that came back to him – and he never knew what would trigger them – left him wondering what his life had really been like. All of his time in Quartoth was a mystery.

Suddenly, Dawn thrashed beside him, shrieking loudly. With a cry, she clapped a hand over her mouth and sat up.

His arms went around her automatically, and she clung to him, shivering violently.

"Dawn, what is it?" He asked, panicked. "Is it the baby?"

She managed to shake her head, gasping for air.

"Bad dream." She stuttered out between breaths.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head rapidly.

"I was just so scared…" Dawn trailed off. She pulled away from him a little, seeming to calm down. "I'm okay now. You should go back to sleep." He could feel her detachment and sighed internally.

It was his own fault, but he didn't know how to bridge the gap. Every time he thought he could get close to her again, he would remember something else – something horrible.

He was so afraid of hurting her.

*

Dawn feigned sleep until she was sure that Connor was asleep. Once she was sure that he was out, she slipped quietly out of bed. She tiptoed down the hallway to relieve herself, and stopped short when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. She looked like crap.

She'd been on bed rest for days now, and she could count the number of hours she was sleeping per day on one hand. The nightmares came every time she fell asleep, and they were always the same. It was a good thing she was home alone during the day, or his parents would be really worried about her. They were extremely heavy sleepers as it was, and she was pretty sure that they didn't how often she woke up screaming at night.

Connor's sisters had kept their distance, at the request of his parents. She was grateful for that, though she was sure his sisters were great girls. She could only handle so much right now.

She walked quietly to his parents study, and checked the time. It was early in Rome, but Buffy was most likely to be up. She sent her sister a quick text message to say hello and let her know how she was doing. With a sigh, she settled herself on the couch with an afghan and turned the TV down low.

Finding an old rerun of I Love Lucy, she leaned back into the couch.

*

Willow tossed another book down into the reject pile.

"This place is insane." She said, grinning a little. "If Giles were here, he'd be drooling right about now."

Angel, Wesley, and Fred looked up from their own books.

"It does bring back a sense of nostalgia, doesn't it?" Wesley asked.

"Who would have ever thought this how we'd all end up?" She continued. They all exchanged looks.

"It's certainly not what I expected when I left Sunnydale." Wesley replied.

"Hmmph." Willow snorted delicately, causing Angel to grin a little.

"I heard that." Wesley replied dryly.

Angel shut his book with a thump.

"Are you sure we shouldn't just torture the truth out of Lindsey?" He asked.

"We've talked about this." Willow reminded him. "Eve was lying."

"How do you know?" Fred questioned, finally speaking up. "I mean…"

"We could just ask him." Wesley tried to be the voice of reason.

"Good." Angel stood up. "I'll go."

"Sit." Willow's voice was kind but firm and Angel felt himself sitting against his will. "I'll go." She said. "We may want him alive after we're done."

She slid her coat on and headed out of the library. They watched her go in silence, and then Angel attempted to stand again. After several tries, he realized it was to no avail. Willow had stuck him to the chair indefinitely.

*

Connor found Dawn snoring lightly on the sofa in the study, snoring lightly while the tv they had in there droned quietly in the background. He found the remote and shut the set off.

She looked so tired.

He knew she hadn't been sleeping well, but he just assumed it was all part of being pregnant. Cordelia hadn't really shared much with him when she'd been pregnant – and it hadn't been a typical pregnancy anyway.

Neither was this one, if he was honest.

Aside from how they'd conceived, he supposed it was normal enough.

He hoped she was taking care of herself. Between school, homework, and keeping up the pretense of working for Angel – in which they spent most of the time training – he knew he hadn't been home much. He knew she was here much of the day by herself.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Connor didn't know what else to do. He'd warned her that he would not be a good father for this kid. She chose not to listen to him, even convincing him for few days that he could do this.

And then the memories came.

He kissed her forehead lightly, before slipping out the door to go to class.

*

Dawn stirred, a brush of lips against her forehead waking her. She looked around and saw that she was alone. Checking the clock, she saw that she'd been asleep for almost an hour.

She walked back down the hall to her room, trying to be quiet. She knew the rest of the family would be up soon, and she wanted to be out of their way. Her stomach rumbled, but the thought of food made it do flip flops, and she resigned herself to not eating breakfast.

Dawn walked into the room she shared with Connor, noting his school bag was gone, and realized he'd left without saying good-bye.

Again.

Guilt swelled up inside her chest.

She couldn't hate him for how he was treating her. He'd warned her, told her this is how it would be. She'd forced it on him anyway…and the first few days she thought she'd had him convinced it would all be okay.

She reached for her school book with a sigh, grabbing a pencil and paper with it.

*

Willow knocked lightly on Lindsey's door. It was early morning, and she hoped he'd be up.

He answered it after a moment, bare-chested, with a pair of sweatpants hanging off his hips.

She was startled by his lack of clothing, her face flushing.

"Well, now." He drawled, leaning against the door. "This is a good morning."


End file.
